Pear feeding, seed celling and splitting machine



Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNx-:R ETAL PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25. 1958 INVENTORS:

MARVIN K. BUCHNER CIEARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSI MARVIN K. BUCHNER .CLARENCE R. THOMPSON BY H-HfL/E- Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER E'rAL 3,073,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, i958 19 sheets-sheet s MARWN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR EEEDING, sEEn CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 azz Z/z 2/0 E c s mi 46,0 l /75 375 l@ INVENTORS: MARVIN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19 sheets-sheet. 5

Filed June 25, 1958 Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,073,889l

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 25, 1958 ,JMG/2747;;

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PEAR EEEDING, sEEn cELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 25. 1958 INVENTORS;

vCLARENCE R. THoMPoN FL-H E".

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Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR EEEDING, sEEn cE'LLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 25, 1958 W 5 S Qwm mw-w 5 TN 1 FmHo vcw QN K .Cc mm N mm. AL Mc @ILIMUH Feb. 26, 1963 u. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 9` Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR EEEDING, sEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE HL/E- Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 sheets-sheet 11 1NvENToRs'- MARVIN K. BUCHNER ,f CLARENCE mTHompspN Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER lIETAL 3,078,889

PEAR EEEDING, sEEn CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE `Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet, 12

El- Q11 `5 3/5 S/ /l` I l Z22 I INVENTORS: MARVIN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R.TH O`MPSON Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BucHNr-:R ETAI. 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 j g l5 zz 27 324 216 l ,26/,278/74 550282 /za /230274/ ,5276/266 Z Z5@ Z7 275 246 264 27: ,2725328582252 2.72/.27/fZ6 26524 MARVIN K. Bucs-NER- CLARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE 19' Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed June 25, 1958 IN VENIVORS O Rw E wm mm a E B R mm V Feb. 26, 1963 M.K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, sEED cELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25. 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 1 20 LT QTZ] lNvENToRs: MARVIN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb 261 1963 M. K. BUCHNER ETAL 3,073,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 l w` N n \1 Q D w lo NQ l0 N (Q l N D N I`I 5% INVENTORSZ MARVIN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R-THOMPSON BY Eil/5- Feb. 26, 1963 M. K. BUCHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHlNE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 17 INVENTORS: MARVIN K. BUCHNER f CLARENCE R. THOMPSON /m-z, 922% /fM/f., f/m

IIL-HQE- Feb- 25, 1963 M. K. BucHNER ETAL 3,078,889

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 INVNTQRS: MARVIN K. BUCHNER CLARENCE R. THOMPSON Feb' 26, 1963 M. K. Bucl-lNl-:R ETAL l 3,073,839

PEAR FEEDING, SEED CELLING AND SPLITTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 19 '76 Rosn'wNER CAM 225 aaa TRANSFER ARM we (CAM 20o) RATCHET CAM 352 PEEUNG TURRET 42 TRANSFER CAM 2 SPIKE GENEVA JAW AND GAUGE CAM 506 LIFT CAM INVENTORS'. MARVIN K. BUCHNER N CLARENCE R. THOMPSON United States This invention relates to a pear preparation machine and more particularly to a machine for feeding pears to a seed celling station, an improved seed celling mechanism, pear halving mechanism and processed fruit discharging mechanism.

In the fruit canning industry today it is desirable that fruit preparation machines meet certain demands which are brought about by the economic forces and trends in the industry. In the case of pear preparation machines, the machine must meet certain basic requirements among others in respect to (l) the cost of manufacture of the machine and the expense of maintenance, (2) the quality of the prepared fruit produced by the machine, and .(3) the ratio of the tonnage output of processed fruit from the machine to the tonnage input of untreated fruit to the machine.

High speed pear processing machines provided heretofore have often sacrificed quality of the prepared fruit in an eifort to obtain higher rates of production and a higher ratio of tonnage output of fruit from the machine to the tonnage input of fruit to the machine. In seed celling apparatus, for example, a cylindrical plug including the seed cell has been cut from the fruit since this provides a convenient and rapid manner of seed celling. Such seed celling processes, however, provide a fruit which is less desirable from the standpoint of appearance of the prepared fruit, particularly when halved. It is desirable to produce seed celled pear halves which have a bridge enhance the appearance of the fruit have been complicated in structure, diilicult to maintain and operate, and inherently slow in operation.

In addition to improving the appearance of the prepared fruit, the provision of a bridge between the seed cell cavity and the blossom end of the fruit results in an increase in the ratio of the tonnage output of fruit from the machine to the tonnage input of fruit to the machine. This increased yield of prepared fruit is important economically.

Certain pear preparation machines heretofore which have been designed to provide a good appearance of fruit and a high yield have required that the pears fed thereto be closely graded as vto size and shape. The grading of the pears adds another element of cost and requires additional machinery and manpower. It is desirable that the pear preparation machine and particularly the seed cell ing section thereof be capable of receiving and treating ungraded pears. This is particularly desirable and advantageous when the other portions of the fruit preparation machine such as the coring section, peeling section and bobbing section are capable of handling ungraded fruit. An example of such a machine is that shown iny arent 'A 2 the co-pending application of Marvin K, Buchner and Clarence R. Thompson, Serial No. 732,555, liled May 2,

1958, now U.S. Patent No. 2,953,236 granted September` Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved seed celling mechanism for pear preparation machines.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved seed celling mechanism for pear preparation machines which will provide a bridge between the seed cell cavity and the blossom end of the fruit whereby to improve the appearance of the prepared fruit halves and to increase Vthe yield of prepared fruit from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seed celling machanism for fruit preparation machines of the type set forth which canadequately seed cell ungraded fruit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an' with respect to the operative portions of the seed celling mechanism regardless of the size and shape of the fruit.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a seed celling mechanism of the type set forth which operates rapidly to produce fruit that is attractive and clean in appearance While producing high yields of prepared fruit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved discharge mechanism to discharge fruit from the seed celling mechanism.

In conjunction with the foregoing object it is another object of the invention to provide structure for halving the fruit during discharge thereof from the seed celling mechanism. r

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description when ytaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings wherein like reference numerals have been utilized to designate like parts throughout:

FIGURE l is a perspective view with certain portionsl broken away of a fruit preparation machine of the type which handles ungraded finit and includes therein a fruit feeding mechanism, a seed celling mechanism and a fruit discharge and halving mechanism made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURES 2A and 2B taken together comprise an elevational view on an enlarged scale of the discharge end of the machine of FIGURE l and showing particularly the seed celling mechanism thereof substantially as seenA in the direction of the arrows along the line 2--2 of FIG- URE l;

FlGURE 3A is a side elevational view .of the upper portion o-f the seed celling mechanism of the machine Eettentedlieb. 26, 1963l 

1. IN A PEAR PREPARATION MACHINE HAING A HOLDER FOR WHOLE PEARS THEREON, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A SEED CELLING MEMBER MOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE PEAR HOLDER AND MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS, MEANS CONTINUALLY TO ROTATE SAID SEED CELLING MEMBER ABOUT SAID AXIS, A PEAR TRANSFER MECHANISM TO TRANSFER A WHOLE PEAR FROM THE PEAR HOLDER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEED CELLING MEMBER, MEANS INCLUDING SAID PEAR TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR ALIGNING THE STEM AXIS OF THE WHOLE PEAR IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AXIS OF SAID SEED CELLING MEMBER, SAID PEAR TRANSFERRING MECHANISM MOVING THE WHOLE PEAR INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEED CELLING MEMBER TO SEED CELL THE WHOLE PEAR AND THEREAFTER TO TRANSFER THE WHOLE PEAR TO A DISCHARGE STATION, AND MEANS TO DISCHARGE THE SEED CELLED WHOLE PEAR FROM SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM. 